New Scientist


Unprecedented ‘fire clouds’ are fanning the flames in France

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:38:40 +0000

Flame-generated thunderstorms known as pyrocumulonimbus clouds can make wildfires even more intense, and they are expected to become more common in Europe


An entirely new kind of drug will help us treat the untreatable

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:00:00 +0000

The first of a new generation of drugs that works in a completely different way to existing ones has been approved. Columnist Michael Le Page says this approach could transform treatments for all kinds of conditions


Peptides are the latest wellness trend – but do they work?

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 19:21:00 +0000

A drug advisory committee in the US has recommended approval for several experimental peptides. But there have been no large-scale tests of these new compounds in humans, finds columnist Grace Wade


Mystery hominin left big footprints at ancient lake in Africa

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Over 1.4 million years ago, a group of eight ancient hominins walked across a shallow mudflat, but their footprints don’t match those of Paranthropus boisei or Homo erectus


Getting a bit more gas from the North Sea doesn’t matter climate-wise

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 16:23:41 +0000

Climate campaigners are angry at reports that the UK government is set to allow oil and gas drilling projects to go ahead, but the focus must be on ending fossil fuel consumption, not production, says Michael Le Page


We’ve found the best example yet of an enormous wandering black hole

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Astronomers have caught a supermassive black hole straying far from the centre of its galaxy using light from a star being ripped apart


Your body changes as you age and so should your diet – here’s how 

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 15:00:00 +0000

As you get older, your body’s response to food changes significantly. But by making the right changes to what you eat from midlife and beyond, it might be possible to add a decade to your life 


Eye implant that restores vision lost to age approved for use

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 14:15:16 +0000

An eye implant and a pair of high-tech glasses that enable people with a severe form of vision loss to read have been approved for use by a European regulator


How ultra-processed foods may damage your long-term brain health

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 08:00:00 +0000

An increasing number of studies have linked ultra-processed foods with depression, anxiety and even dementia. Columnist Helen Thomson explores how strong the evidence is for the brain effects of a diet full of these foods


One of NASA’s crucial links to deep space is at risk of burning down

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 21:30:01 +0000

The Deep Space Network is our best way to communicate with spacecraft beyond Earth’s orbit, and one of its three stations around the world is in the middle of a wildfire